Jespersen



Jan. 31, 1956 J. JESPERSEN SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR EXCAVATING WHEEL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1951 INVENTOR. (72/15 Jgoemefl BY Z W l ll Jan. 31, 1956 J. JESPERSEN SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR EXCAVATING WHEEL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1951 JT I.

Jan. 31, 1956 v J. JESPERSEN 3 SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR EXCAVATING WHEEL Filed June 2, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 479/25 JiS arse/2 United States Patent 6) 2,731,631" sit-firearms STRUCTURE FOR EXCAVATING WHEEL Jeff" 1 a, Delaware Application June 2,,1 951,-Serial*No. 2291635 seisiise 01. 37 -189)- elfs'en; cl ige gq; 1111;, ass'ignor'to'The United Elecavenues relates generally to improvementsin' sup orpand 'driveffor aneXcavat in'g1 v wheel so that the' ve, receiving the spoil from the buckets mounted on Swing machinery, crawler treads and a ladder hoist are usually provided for crowding" the excavating wheel into the excavation bank, and the crowding aiit we'afr 'and other disadvantages. v

the rotation of the excavating wheel nor upon the i d'r ing' mechanism therefor; In carrying out the invense anon rota'tin'g support shaft; is journal'ed at each eseimiiebeenmr ladd and a tubular shaft is'supporte'd on the support shaft. Thetubularshaftisalsb'non rotat ii iii oneifo'rm may be spaced from' the dead support. ceptifor a" pair oflands'thereon whieh c'ontact the siippor shaft one of su'ciilands'being at one end of, the

lie s'pideifl-s'o that irrespectiveof the twisting of flexui'of thedead s aport shaft, th

' Wi'th the foregoing considerations a prin eipal obje'ctioftlie invention'to enable an' excavator'wheel t'ob suppbrted for'tuiiiin'g movementabou't a flied shaftih-*sueli a fa'shion' that; the se ate of: the shaft will not afieet the proper operati'ori'ofthe' excavator wheeh di'ivi aftai'ridfih s'uch-afashiorl that the distortion of the su port shair Will fiotaffect a driving connection Between the excavator sheer and the-driving means thereto Yet another object comp'reheiids"the rom-tenet a -pair of stippbrt 'shaffs for a wheel excavator, one of said 1 Companies, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of ting machines, and relates particu'larly'to anovel' nupus operation has been achieved by employing whereof adapted to discharge their contentsonto Such machines aiidi denee'tio'nsfoii the" end of thew" Hr ladder'and'Inthe wheelfshaft, with-theresult' the driving'meclianism may be misalig'netL, causing" rding the present invention, the" deflection; of pport shaft for the excavating wheel no effect tii b ula r Vsha'ft' and the": other; approximately in. the middle 7 An ex avator wheel spider is supported for "ithre'speet to the tubular shaft andth'e 'support' ft" ndhas zf'hubaffording airecess for a rollenbeariiigT The same hub also isipr owitii another ring mounted 'on the meme; rt'fiehiib s ppenea for rotation bothfo'ii 4 ubula'r'shaift. The ma: cleanse alsoarrears-a su eoa for metersnimiag pi'n ions meshing with an internally toothed ring gear carried as tan ;s m er tiiiili improper driving engagement with' thering" gear.-

rklioth'e'r' object is to provide a construction for otatalily' shaft'sffittiiig within a" tubular shaft, with theeiicavatoi' wheel and its drivingmechanisin' being" supported by" the tubular shaft, so that the driving connection between them? will riot be misaligned o'r disturbed by the' -fiexure of theinner shaft.

Other objects and important features ofthe' invention will be apparent-frorn'a study of the-within specification taken with the" drawings which together show a pre ferred embodiment: of theinvention and 'what is" now considered 'to 'be the best mode I of practicing the "pris ciples' thereoff The possibility of" modifications crate particular structure herein described without departing from the fundamental principles of the invention 'is"re'c ognized, and it is intended that the scopethereof be limited only asset forth'in' the appended claimsfi In the drawings:

Figure-1 isa frontviewofaportion of a'rotai'ywlieel excavating machine havingembodied therein the improve:

ments a'ccording to the present invention, parts of the mechanism beingshown in section;

Figure'2 is a side elevation view showinga' portion" of the support boom, or ladder, and the disposition ofthe" driving'mechanism for the excavating Wheeha'nd g s Figure" 3 is a top plan view of the excavating vi'Il'ieel shownin-Figure 1, showing the location of the driviii'g?v mechanism with respect to the excavating wheel.

Referring now" tothe drawings, the'invention is"shown as eriib'odied inan excavating machine, generallyof the crawler type, and includes a boom, 01 support ladder, l ll wiiich supports'at the end thereof an excavating wheel indicated generally, and in'dotted outline, by the" ref erenc'e' numeral 11; It will be understood that insofar as the present invention is concerned, other supporting structure than a b o om,' orladder, ma be employed.- The digging ladder 10 is adapted to sweep in a generally hori-' zontal" plane while being crowded againstan excavation bank, and the digging ladder 10 maybe raised or lowered by a bail 12' hingedly connected at 13, 13 to lifting eyes 14 mounted nea'r the tapered ends 15 of a fixed non rotatable shaft which is indicated generally by' the nu-' meari 16; I Shaft 16' is held adjacent each end in journal supports 17 which are riveted or otherwise securedtothe end of the digging ladder 10. As seen with particular reference to Figure l, the lifting bail 12 and the lifting eyes 14 are locatedin'side ofthe journal supports'17 are adjacent thereto and are positioned between supports' 17' and shoulders'18"formed near each end on the stationary shaft 16.

As shown with particular reference to Figurefll of the" drawings, the excavatingwheel 11 is'adapted to turn'wi'tli" respect to the stationary shaft 16, and in sucha fashion" that' any flexure of the shaft 16 caused bythe'forc'esini ciden't to crowding of the digging ladder 10* in'td't-he" excavating bank will not be transmitted into the'ex cavati'ng wheel 11", and so that the driving connection" of the driving mechanism will keep the same" relative" working position between wheel 11, drive eareanem chinery base, so that the gears, drive pinions' and the driving mechanism will not be misaligned or disturbetii Tothis'end' a tubular shaft, indicated genera'llyby the" reference numeral 19, is supported on the fixed nonrotatable shaft 16'. While the inside ditimeter ofthe" tubular shaft 19 could correspond to the outside diameter of the shaft 16, for ease of'manufactu're and assembly, the inside diameter of the tubular shaft is. made greater, except for an end land 21 on the tubular shaft 19 hearing against a reduced portion 22 on the fixed shaft i6 and against a shouider 23 thereon, and except fora 1 a'nd- 24 disposed approximately midway of the length of thetiibular' shaft 19 and restingupon a' cyli'milrical" surface 26 of slightly" larger diameter than the" diameter of the shaft 16; As noted above, the shaft 16 ispro vided with tapered end portions 15. There is a substantial amount of clearance afforded between the tubular shaft 19 and the fixed shaft 16, at the right tapered end, as seen in Figure 1, so that flexing of the shaft 16 adjacent its supported right end can occur without contacting the interior surface of the tubular shaft 19.

The fixed non-rotatable shaft 16 and the tubular shaft 19, which is also non-rotatable, provide a support for a spider 28 having a central hub 29. As seen particularly with respect to Figures 1 and 3, the spider 28 has a rim 31 providing a mounting for buckets 32 of the excavating wheel 11. The central hub 29 is provided at one end thereof with a bearing recess 33 having tapered roller bearing structure 34 supported on the reduced portion 22 of the fixed shaft 16, the bearing 34 being held in position in the recess 33 and against the axially outer end of the land 21 of the tubular shaft 19 by a bearing seal and keeper 36. A retainer ring 36a, seated in a groove 36b of shaft 16, maintains the radially inner portion of the bearing seal 36 in place. The land 21 of tubular shaft 19 is, therefore, fixed axially on shaft 16 by being held between the bearing structure 34 and the shoulder 23 on shaft 16. The other end of the hub 29 is of a larger inner diameter to provide a recess 37 for a roller bearing structure 38 which is supported on the tubular shaft 19, the recess 37 and the bearing 38 being sealed against the ingress of dirt by a cover plate and bearing seal 39 secured to an annular flange 41 of the hub 29.

Means are provided for rotating the excavating wheel 11 on the hub 29 on its bearings 34 and 38, which are respectively supported on the stationary shaft 16 and the tubular shaft 19, through the medium of an internal ring gear 42 which is bolted to a circular plate 43 welded to the annular flange 41 of the hub 29. The internal ring gear 42 is disposed radially outwardly of bearing structure 38 and it meshes with drive pinions 44 and 46, which are respectively driven from drive motors 47 and 48 through speed reducers 49 and 51, see also Figure 2. The driving mechanism for the internal ring gear 42 is mounted on a framework, indicated generally by the numeral 50, supported at one end upon the tubular shaft 19 and connected at the other end to the ladder 10. As shown with particular reference to Figures 2 and 3, the tubular shaft 19 is fitted with a pair of split yokes 52 and 53 which have arms extending in a direction parallel to the digging ladder 1t and fixed respectively to the sides 54 and 56 of frame 50, which sides are connected by a pin 57 to a support member 58 welded to struts 59 of the digging ladder 10, see Figure 2. As seen in Figure 2, the motor unit 47 is mounted on the top flanges 61 and 62 of the sides 54, 56 by mounting bolts 63. The motor unit 47 is connected by a drive shaft 64a to the speed reducer 49 to drive its pinion 44 which meshes with the internal ring gear 42. The drive motor 48 is similarly fastened to lower flanges 64 and 66 of frame 50 by mounting bolts 67, and is connected by a shaft 68 to the speed reducer 51 to drive the latters pinion 46 which meshes with the internal ring gear 42.

As seen with respect to Figure 1, the internal ring gear 42 and the drive pinions 44 and 46 are sealed against the entrance of dirt or foreign material by a cover shield 69 fastened to the split yoke member 52 and a cover shield 71 supported by the speed reducers 49 and 51. As seen in Figures 1 and 3, the speed reducers 49 and 51 are provided with supporting discs 72 which are bolted to the cover shield 71 by securing bolts 73 which flank circular openings 74 in the cover shield 71 for the pinions 44 and 46. The cover shields 71 are also provided with inturned flanges 76 which support a sealing ring 77 surrounding the outer periphery of the internal ring gear 42.

When the machine according to the present invention is in operation, the crowding effect of the digging ladders 10 may tend to cause some flexingof the stationary shaft 16, but it will be seen that such flexing of shaft 16 may be had without distortion of the excavating wheel 10 and the tubular shaft 19. Even if some flexing should occur at the reduced portion 22 of shaft 16, the flexing will be reflected into movement of both the tubular shaft 19 and the spider 29 as a unit, without affecting their relative position with respect to each other, since they both bear on reduced portion 22. Since the gear reducers are also mounted on tubular shaft 19, their pinions 44 and 46 will always be maintained in proper relationship with respect to the internal gear 42. Consequently, the excavating wheel and its ring gear will be maintained in proper alignment with the remainder of the driving mechanism.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that a novel and useful structure has been provided for driving an excavating wheel or similar device in such a fashion that the strains imposed upon the support means therefor will not be transmitted to the means for driving the excavating wheel, so that at all times the excavating wheel and its driving means will be maintained in proper alignment. It will also be seen that the main loads imposed by the weight of the excavator wheel and the loads incident to the digging action of the buckets may be taken by the dead support shaft, and that the loads imposed by the driving mechanism may be taken by the tubular shaft, but with the advantage that such load may be transmitted from the tubular shaft into the dead support shaft. While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment which it may assume in practice, other embodiments of the invention will become apparent to one having the teachings of the foregoing specification, and it is intended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the precise embodiment shown herein, nor otherwise than by the scope and breadth of the appended claims.

I Iclaim:

1. For use in an excavating machine of the kind wherein a rotating excavating wheel is mounted adjacent the end of a digging ladder or other supporting structure, the combination of a shaft adapted to be connected adjacent its ends with the digging ladder, a tubular shaft supported on the first shaft, an excavating wheel rotatably mounted on the outer surface of said tubular shaft, and driving mechanism drivingly connected with said excavating wheel a portion of said driving mechanism having a part of its support on said tubular shaft and adapted to have a part of its support on said digging ladder.

2. For use in an excavating machine of the kind wherein a rotating excavating wheel is mounted adjacent the end of a digging ladder or other supporting structure, the combination of a shaft adapted to be connected adjacent its ends with the digging ladder, both ends of said shaft being tapered, a tubular shaft surrounding at least a portion of said first shaft, including at least a portion of its tapered end, supported on the first shaft, an excavating wheel unconnected with said shaft and rotatably mounted on the outer surface of said tubular shaft and driving mechanism drivingly connected with said excavating wheel and finding at least a part of its support on said tubular shaft.

3. For use in an excavating machine of the kind wherein a rotating excavating wheel is mounted adjacent the end of a digging ladder or other supporting structure, the combination of a shaft adapted to be connected adjacent its ends with the digging ladder, at least one end of said shaft being tapered, a tubular shaft surrounding at least a portion of said first shaft, including at least a portion of its tapered end, supported on the first shaft, an excavating wheel rotatably mounted on said tubular shaft radially outwardly of a non-tapered portion of the first shaft, and driving mechanism drivingly connected with said excavating wheel and finding at least a part of its support on said tubular shaft radially outwardly of at least a portion of the tapered end of the first shaft.

'4. For use in an excavating machine of the kind wherein a rotating excavating wheel is mounted adjacent the end mechanism includes a motor and gear reducer secured on of a digging ladder or other supporting structure, the comthe top of the frame and a motor and gear reducer secured bination of a shaft adapted to be connected adjacent its on the underside of said frame, each gear reducer having ends with the digging ladder, a tubular shaft supported on a diving pinion meshing with said ring gear.

the first shaft, and an excavating wheel support spider 5 D having a central hub including a bearing in one end thereof References Cited In the file of this Patent in contact with the tubular shaft and a bearing in the UNITED STATES A N other end thereof in contact with said first shaft, an internal ring carried by said spider radially outwardly of the 1 g g g Rifl i3 3 first mentioned bearing, a frame supported at one end upon 10 2370777 k n M e 6 1945 said tubular shaft and adapted to have a pivotal connec- 2417846 St ar 1947 tion at its other end with the digging ladder, and driving evens mechanism secured to said frame and including at least FOREIGN PATENTS one driving pinion meshing with said ring gear. 722,850 Germany J 1y23 1942 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the driving 15 

